Zayra's Alter of Cultural Accepta7nce

Zayra Serrato Garcia

Zayra's Alter of Cultural Acceptance

I hope that my audience can view how I utilize my culture and creativity to approach this autobiography visually, musically, physcially, and through writing. As well as, how you can unite cultural traditions and academia together as a mode of learning. Due to Dia de los Muertos coming up, I thought of honoring my 12 year old self's struggles to be accepted into both the Mexican and American culture. In her honor, I made her an alter with ofrendas (pictures of some of my role models and songs) that collaborate to demonstrate my acceptance journey. The reader should approach my autobiography with some context on Dia de los Muertos and why alters are set up. Thank you for time.

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Anzaldúa, G. (2023). How to tame A wild tongue. The Border Reader, 628–638. https://doi.org/10.1215/9781478027195-026 Friere, P. (1993). Pedagogy of the oppressed. The Continuum Publishing Co. G, B. (2016, June 26). Becky G - We Are Mexico. YouTube. https://youtu.be/bE-U1HQl-o8?si=W0ZE9epQQ6yTli74 Lafourcade, N. (n.d.). Natalia Lafourcade – hasta la raíz lyrics | genius lyrics. https://genius.com/Natalia-lafourcade-hasta-la-raiz-lyrics Marquez, R. (2018, July 30). What’s in the “X” of Latinx? Medium. https://medium.com/center-for-comparative-studies-in-race-and/whats-in-the-x-of-latinx-9266ed40766a Sanchez, Estrella. (2025, February 3). Language Inventory and Artifact Ofrenda. https://suitec-prod.ets.berkeley.edu/assets?categoryId=6787 Sumchai, Nailah. (2025, February 2). Language Inventory and Artifact Ofrenda. https://suitec-prod.ets.berkeley.edu/assets?categoryId=6787 Uchis, K. (2024, January 11). Kali Uchis - Igual Que Un Ángel (ft. Peso Pluma) [Official Audio]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/EY-nAOFpenI?si=IiuxIB7hf0Vofr3A

References

I placed a picture of my mother as an ofrenda because she has been my greatest teacher. Through her, I learned Spanish, and I often remind myself that when I criticize my language skills, I am also criticizing the wisdom she passed down to me. My mother didn’t just teach me a language; she also taught me to embrace every part of myself. She always reminds me that education is a privilege, often saying, "Estudia mucho, hija, quiero que seas alguien en la vida." While this phrase was meant to encourage me, I often found it heartbreaking. My mother sees herself as less because she couldn’t pursue formal education or secure a stable income.Freire’s words resonate deeply here: "The 'humanism' of the banking approach masks the effort to turn women and men into automatons—the very negation of their ontological vocation to be more fully human" (Freire, p. 74). His critique highlights how traditional education systems can strip individuals of the ability to think critically, reducing them to passive recipients of information. I think of the systemic barriers that I, and many like me, faced growing up in the U.S. education system. For example, the standardized testing system is common barrier. It often fails to account for students with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, pressuring them to assimilate into just speaking English. Many students from immigrant families struggle to navigate this system, and it feels like the promise of a “better life” my mother hoped for is overshadowed by these obstacles. She left her home country to provide us with better opportunities, but instead, we continue to face challenges that reflect systemic inequalities. However, I still embrace both my cultures by speaking both languages and Spanglish.

La Rosa de Guadalupe

I look up to Mary as a feminine role model. I am not a religious person, however, I always admired her growing up because my mother did as well. She just exudes this caring and warm energy that I try to emody. I could talk to her and felt like she listened when my own mother could not listen to me. She the mother to the Mexican people. I grew up with many "Marias" around me as well. My mother was named Maria, my favorite Aunt, and my hometown is named Santa Maria. I feel a connection to her through these people and places. I hope to visit her in Mexico one day.

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Yellow

This color represents the joy I felt from finally reaching the confidence to embrace both my American and Mexican sides thanks to these role models along the way. Yellow, also, represents the caution I took in fulling stepping into these communities due to potential criticism and rejection. I was more quiet and reserved through my teenage years, but now I am more loud in different spaces.

Cempasuchil

In her NPR article, Romo shares, "the cempasúchil — the Aztec name of the marigold flower native to Mexico. The fragrance of the bright orange and yellow flowers is said to lead souls from their burial place to their family homes. The cheerful hues also add to the celebratory nature of the holiday, which, although it's wrapped up in death, is not somber but festive" (Romo). I handmade the flowers different colors because I wanted to represent the different shades of emotions I experienced on my journey. Orange represents the positive feleings I felt along this journey.

"Pocho, cultural traitor, you're speaking the oppressor's language by speaking English, you're ruining the Spanish language," I have often been accused by fellow Latinos and Latinas. As Anzaldúa explains, "Chicano Spanish is considered by the purist and by most Latinos deficient, a mutilation of Spanish. But Chicano Spanish is a border tongue which developed naturally" (Anzaldúa, p. 55). This resonates with the work of Kali Uchis, a daughter of Colombian immigrants, who, like Anzaldúa, embraces Spanglish in her artistic expression. In her music, such as the song referenced above, Uchis seamlessly shifts between Spanish and English to reflect her dual identity. By doing so, she highlights both aspects of her cultural heritage, taking pride in both languages rather than privileging one over the other. Through her lyrics, we can see that she resists allowing dominant English to overshadow her Spanish, much like Anzaldúa emphasizes the natural development of Chicano Spanish as a form of self-expression. Both Anzaldúa and Uchis showcase how language—whether through writing or music—becomes a powerful tool for navigating and maintaining a connection to both cultures. Their use of Spanglish reflects the desire of many Latino Americans to honor and preserve their heritage while also adapting to the broader context of life in the United States. By blending languages, they resist cultural erasure and affirm the richness of their bilingual identities. Kali's picture and music are ofrendas to my 12 year old self who struggled to feel comfortable with both her Mexican and American sides. Kali has inspired me as a women navigating and to navigaitng my feminine energy as well as as being proud of my culture through my Spanglish.

Pink

This color represents the feminine energy in which the role models in my life provided and how important it is to me in my idenitiy as a women.

I offer my peer Estrella Sanchez’s artifact as an ofrenda to our past, present, and future selves. She shared, "I chose the song 'Hasta la Raíz' by Natalia Lafourcade because it deeply resonates with my identity. It connects me not only to my family and loved ones in the present but also to those who came before me—my ancestors and those who have passed. This song serves as a daily reminder that no matter where I go, I carry with me their love, sacrifices, and the cultural heritage they preserved through generations." Her artifact not only resonates with me but with many Latinos, demonstrating how our family histories transcend borders and languages. Music carries the power to root us in our identities, just as Natalia Lafourcade’s lyrics remind us of the deep ties we have to our heritage. Estrella embodies this connection so deeply that she carries these lyrics with her physically, tattooed on her skin. Her family, culture, and languages are crucial to her identity, shaping how she presents herself to the world. Through her artifact, we glimpse her worldview, reinforcing how identity is a deeply personal yet universally significant experience. Language, much like music, is central to how we define and express ourselves. Rigoberto Marquez explores this in his discussion of Latinx identity, emphasizing the importance of inclusive language in allowing individuals to define their own identities. He states, “We must provide space to make mistakes, instead of hyper-policing how and when we use the ‘x.’ If we are doing this work as allies, we must also, with great intention, centralize and bring to the forefront non-binary, gender non-conforming/creative, and trans Latina/o(x) in our syllabi, introductory courses, majors/minors, mission statements..."* (Marquez,2018). His words highlight how language evolves to reflect identity and belonging, just as music like Hasta la Raíz becomes a vessel for cultural connection across generations.Marquez’s discussion shows the complexity of cultural and linguistic identity. The debate around the term "Latinx" reflects broader conversations about inclusion, tradition, and the ways language can both unite and divide communities. While some embrace the term as a step toward gender inclusivity, others resist it, arguing that it disrupts Spanish linguistic norms. This tension mirrors the struggles many first-generation Latinos face when balancing their cultural roots with the evolving expectations of identity in the U.S. Just as music like Hasta la Raíz reminds us of our ancestral ties while evolving in contemporary contexts, language serves as both a reflection of our past and a tool for shaping our future

"Yo te llevo dentro, hasta la raíz Y por más que crezca vas a estar aquí Aunque yo me oculte tras la montaña y encuentre un campo lleno de caña No habrá manera, mi rayo de luna, que tú te vayas"

Link

https://genius.com/Natalia-lafourcade-hasta-la-raiz-lyrics

They light the path for souls form the underwrold.

Candles

Anzaldúa states, "The ever-present corridos narrated one hundred years of border history, bringing news of events as well as entertaining. These folk musicians and folk songs are our chief cultural myth-makers, and they made our hard lives seem bearable" (Anzaldúa, p. 61). Music has always played a significant role in shaping my identity and providing a source of comfort throughout my life. As I grew older, I noticed a lack of representation of people like me in American television. Around the age of 12, I turned to music as a way to find stories that resonated with my own experiences. At that time, I was struggling to navigate the complexities of belonging to both American and Mexican cultures. Some of my own family members, along with people on social media, would mock my Spanish, deepening my sense of alienation. Fortunately, I discovered Becky G, a Mexican-American artist, whose music spoke to me in ways I had not previously encountered. Through her songs, I realized that I didn’t need to conform to societal standards—I could simply be myself. Her lyrics helped me embrace both of my cultures, and I came to cherish the fact that I belong to two places that I call home.In agreement with Anzaldúa’s reflection on how folk songs can make "hard lives seem bearable," I believe music serves as a refuge during difficult times. For instance, Becky G’s song, released around the 2016 election, provided strength to many, including my family. During a period when Trump’s rhetoric targeted immigrants, particularly Mexicans, and led to an increase in deportations, my family lived in constant fear. Becky G used her platform to challenge these injustices, proudly affirming that we are hardworking people whose identity cannot be erased. I now see these lyrics as an ofrenda to my 12-year-old self, who once felt disconnected from her heritage. They helped me embrace both my Mexican and American sides, allowing me to fully appreciate my dual identity.

For my next ofrenda, I share a picture of Selena Quintanilla, an artifact offered by my peer Nailah Sumchai. She explains, "For my Ofrenda, I chose Selena’s song 'Como La Flor' because it has often served as an unexpected bridge between my identity and others’ perceptions of me. I’ve lost count of how many times people have realized I speak Spanish only because this song came on and I knew every lyric. Being fluent in two languages is something I feel incredibly grateful for, yet I can’t shake the feeling of being constantly questioned or underestimated in my ability to speak Spanish. While this may not always be a negative experience, it’s something I continue to reflect on." I chose to include her ofrenda on my altar because it resonates with my own experiences and highlights how language shapes both our identities and how others perceive us. Many people associate a specific appearance or background with a language, but Spanish, in particular, defies such rigid categorization. As a multicultural language spoken across diverse regions and identities, Spanish belongs to no single image, race, or nationality. This is why I admire that Nailah looks up to Selena Quintanilla, who was often criticized for her use of Spanglish or for not being "fluent enough" in Spanish. Despite these criticisms, Selena embraced her bilingualism and performed with unwavering confidence, becoming a role model for young women who, like her, navigated the complexities of language and cultural identity. She proved that one’s connection to Spanish is not defined by perfection but by passion and authenticity. Nailah’s story reminds us that language, like identity, cannot be confined by borders or expectations—it exists within us, shaped by our lived experiences and the ways we choose to express ourselves.